View and buy pictures @ www.midulsterfocus.com
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View and buy pictures @ www.midulsterfocus.com
2 Mid Ulster focus Mid Ulster focus 3 Contents 5 Spring clean your garden Oliver Corr 10 Spotlight on... Joshua Cuddy 18-19 23 Cover Story Recipes Warm yourself up: vegetable chowder 24-25 Big Feature Editor’s Letter W elcome to the March edition of Mid Ulster Focus. As they say in this part of the world there is a “quare” stretch in the evenings and hopefully we are over the worst part of the winter weather. Mid Ulster Focus had its official launch at the Ranfurly Arts Centre and we carry some photos from what was a great evening. We would like to thank all those who attended or contributed to the launch. One of those who performed at the launch was Cookstown comedian Louise Taylor, whom we feature on this month’s cover. Our gardening columnist Mary Doris gives some sound advice on what we need to do to prepare the garden for spring. Moyola Park FC celebrated 135 years and our photographer was on hand to capture the event at Moyola Park Golf club. Our correspondent Eimear Quinn brings us a couple of stories about the recently formed South Tyrone Men’s Shed in Dungannon and on First Step Women’s group, also in Dungannon. No matter what your interests, we hope there is something for everyone in Mid Ulster Focus. The magazine is now widely available in outlets throughout the area. If you have an interesting story to tell, or if you are organising an event, please contact the magazine at midulsterfocus@gmail.com or phone 07803729290. If you are a charity, community or sporting organisation based or operating in the Mid Ulster area, let us know what you are doing and we can give you a platform. Mid Ulster Focus is about looking at the good things happening in area and we hope you make it a regular and enjoyable part of your month. To view or buy any of the pictures in this magazine go to www.midulsterfocus.com Address: 26 Bella’s corner 35 Cookstown Citizen How a bowl of eel soup saved Mid Ulster Mid Ulster Focus 18 Washingbay Road Coalisland Co Tyrone BT714PX Editor: Oliver Corr 07803729290 Advertising: Claire Quinn 07725898586 Administration: Dolores O’Neill midulsterfocus@gmail.com Publisher: Quinn’s Printers Unit 3-6 RJ Hall Industrial Estate BT13 2GA Belfast Design & Production RE&D 124-144 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1DN 02890554882 4 Mid Ulster focus Motor Club rallies round The Magherafelt and District Motor Club celebrated 36 years of motoring fun with an enjoyable night of presentations to members and officials at its annual dinner, in the Shepherd’s Rest in Draperstown. F0315 - 100 Ciaran McMullan Award - Billy Regan. Presented by Patricia Laverty. F0315 - 101 Driver Of The Year - Desi Henry. Presented by Patricia Laverty. F0315 - 102 Marshal Of The Year - Bill Arbuthnot. Presented by Patricia Laverty. F0315 - 103 Novice Award - Seamus Goodfellow and Ryan O’Kane. Presented by Patricia Laverty. F0315 - 104 Outstanding Performance - Kevin Bradley. Presented by Patricia Laverty. F0315 - 105 Team Award - The Stockman family and Ryan Morgan. Presented by Patricia Laverty. F0315 - 106 Tommy Hughes Award - Joe Rogers. Presented by Patricia Laverty. F0315 - 107 Tour Of The Sperrins Rally Clerk Of The Course - Stephen O’Neill. Presented by Seamus McCusker. F0315 - 108 Ulster Rally and Circuit Of Ireland Rally Stage Commander - Patricia Laverty. Presented by Lee Averall. View and buy pictures @ www.midulsterfocus.com Mid Ulster focus gardening 5 Mary Doris Spring Clean Your Garden A lthough it can still be very cold this month with frosts, the days are getting longer and the sun a little stronger, making it a perfect time for a garden spring clean. No resting on your laurels this month! This list of jobs to do in the garden will keep you busy in the month ahead. Flowers, Bulbs, and Containers • Protect exposed plants from frost. • Start to dig over any borders you have and add as much organic matter as possible - the chilly winds really help to dry out the soil. • Make new beds and borders. • Plant summer flowering bulbs. • Cut down perennials that have been left standing over winter. • Remove the top layer of soil from pot-grown shrubs and replace with fresh potting compost that contains a slow-release fertiliser. • Add organic fertiliser to shrubs. • Plant or move roses. Tip: They like plenty of sun and benefit from feeding with granular rose fertiliser as they start growing. • Dead head the flowers of Nar- cissus (Daffodils) as they fade, but allow the foliage to die down naturally. This fattens up the bulb for next spring. Lawn and General Maintenance • If it is very wet, then keep off the lawn as much as possible. When the weather improves and the lawn has had a chance to dry out, give it a first cut with the blades on the highest setting DON’T TOUCH THE LAWN IF IT IS WET!! It will damage the turf and compact the soil. • Clean and repair garden tools. • Book your lawnmower in for a service. • Check and repair garden furni- ture. Check for rot. • Remove moss and weeds from paths and driveways. If you don’t get this job done now, it will be an absolute nightmare for the rest of the season. The Kitchen Garden • If you haven’t done so already, prune standard or bush apple and pear trees before buds break. Tips on pruning: Keep the centre of the tree fairly open to allow air to circulate freely. Cut out crossing and rubbing branches to prevent disease. PLANT OF THE MONTH Pulmonaria ‘Blue Ensign’ (Lungwort) Description: This is an excellent ground cover plant that loves growing in dappled shade. Plant it somewhere where the beautiful bright flowers can be fully appreciated. It is hardy, but don’t let it dry out. Divide every 3-5 years in autumn. Soil: Well-drained Flowering Period: March-May Flowering Colour: Blue-violet • Add organic fertiliser to fruit trees. • Finish pruning gooseberries and red and white currant bushes. • Plant pot-grown fruit trees, strawberry plants and rhubarb crowns. • Start off seed potatoes. Tip: Stand the potatoes in empty egg cartons with eyes uppermost. • Plant shallots, onion sets and early potatoes. Putting your mind, body and soul into gardening When you get out into the garden, you should take a few minutes and switch off from everything else that is going on in your life, and slow down your thoughts. Enjoy being outside in the fresh air, and just focus on the trees and plants around you. When you have finished gardening, allow yourself to feel a sense of achievement. And remember that you are not only improving your flexibility and strength, but gardening can also help in reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure as well as reducing your stress levels. 6 Mid Ulster focus For a Saintly cause A charity coffee morning held at the Torrent Complex in Donaghmore organised by staff at Loane House at South Tyrone Hospital Dungannon. It was held in memory of Patricia Brennan (née O’Hanlon) who passed away last year. Proceeds went to the refurbishment of St Patrick’s Church Donaghmore. F0315 - 109 F0315 - 110 F0315 - 111 F0315 - 112 F0315 - 113 F0315 - 114 F0315 - 115 F0315 - 116 View and buy pictures @ www.midulsterfocus.com Mid Ulster focus ø Business Centre Coalisland Call now for your ø upgrade 0330 004 0202 Open Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm Saturday 10am to 5pm 7 8 Mid Ulster focus Mid Ulster Focus Launch Pictured at the launch of the new glossy monthly magazine Mid Ulster Focus at the Ranfurly Arts Centre Dungannon F0315 - 117 F0315 - 118 F0315 - 119 F0315 - 120 F0315 - 121 F0315 - 122 F0315 - 123 F0315 - 124 F0315 - 125 F0315 - 126 F0315 - 127 View and buy pictures @ www.midulsterfocus.com Mid Ulster focus it Makes You Think... 9 Martin J McGuinness Lose the Blinkers… W e gave Heaney a good send off, you must admit. I mean, for an atheist…’ The speaker was a handyman who’d called to fix a leaking tap. Two things left me speechless: his use of the royal ‘we’, which seemed to include me but exclude one of Ireland’s greatest poets, and his absolute certainty that the word “atheist” was appropriate. ‘I’m not sure I’d call Heaney an atheist,’ I said, eventually. ‘Oh, he was. It said so in The Irish News.’ It was not the first time I’d come across this kind of Catholicism that was more concerned with collective outer observance than personal inner transformation. It was as if the world was divided into the good people who went to Mass and everybody else who didn’t; in fact that’s how you could tell good and bad apart. Many years ago, as an infant attending St Peter’s Primary School in Lancaster, I had a teacher named Miss Turner. Every Monday morning she would say, ‘Stand up if you didn’t go to Mass yesterday.’ Invariably one or two innocents would stand. ‘Why, Samantha? Why didn’t you go?’ ‘It was raining, Miss.’ ‘Raining? That’s no excuse. You’re not a little jelly baby. You’re not going to be washed down the drain, are you?’ ‘No, Miss.’ ‘Well, think on…’ Miss Turner was a strict disciplinarian. She was notorious for never letting children go to the toilet during class. Kids had no alternative but to wet themselves and live with that discomfort for the rest of the day. Teachers got Seamus Heaney away with a lot back then. Fast forward a few decades and I’m coming out of Mass in Coalisland when an acquaintance asks me what I’m at this weather. I tell him that I’m training to be a teacher of RE. ‘Don’t yis have to teach the childer all that ol’ Buddhist nonsense these days?’ he asks, shaking his head with disapproval. Every time I meet with this kind of blinkered Catholicism, I just want to disown it and stand next to the excluded. Yet such views are still prevalent, and it is so difficult to hear a different voice. I spent some time in religious life, and one of my favourite true stories from those years concerns a number of west of Ireland religious students who happened to be in Oxford, attending a talk being given by a noted Dominican priest and theologian. The Irish lads, whose religious formation up to that point had included more gathering spuds and cleaning windows than reading Aquinas, had been forewarned by their student master not to let the side down by asking any foolish questions at the end of the lecture. Well, the Oxford priest gave a wonderful talk about his vision of the Catholic Church in the modern era. The Church was reaching out in friendship to the world, showing respect not just to other Christian denominations but to other faiths as well. There were inspiring buzzwords and phrases like ‘inclusion’, ‘participation’, ‘unity in diversity’, and ‘respect for persons’. Sure enough, at the end of the talk there was time for questions. Brother Sean from Mayo raised his hand: ‘D’ya tink, fadher,’ says he, ‘that the Protestants will ever come over?’ The English Dominican looked completely nonplussed and in a Terry-Thomas accent asked: ‘Over where?’ Incidentally, one of my favourite Seamus Heaney poems is called “The Skylight”. On one level, it tells simply of home improvement, a skylight being fitted, bringing light to a room that had previously been dark. But on another level, it is all about being open to new ideas, to new ways of seeing and letting go of the kind of old certainties that have ceased to be life-giving. Initially the poet had been against the project, yet he finds the new light transforms not just the room but his own take on life. The closing lines of the poem are full of joy and freedom: For days I felt like an inhabitant Of that house where the man sick of the palsy Was lowered through the roof, had his sins forgiven, Was healed, took up his bed and walked away. For me, Seamus Heaney is a towering figure. He is to literature what Abraham Lincoln is to politics. His words are inspirational and provide spiritual nourishment of a very high order indeed. 10 Mid Ulster focus Spotlight ON Joshua J Cuddy What makes you angry? oshua Cuddy is a singer, actor, and general thespian from Dungannon. When he isn’t treading the boards, he can be found scurrying around. He works closely with the Craic Theatre, the Bardic Theatre and is one of the founding members of the Castle Hill Theatre Group. He also runs a social enterprise called Castle Media which provides services that might normally be outside of people’s budgets, such as websites, printing and marketing materials. If you could be invisible for one day what would you do? I’d sneak into a show or concert for free. Afterwards in the pub I’d make people think their bar stools were haunted. What’s your worst habit? Some people think I have a habit of ignoring criticism, but what do they know? Ignorance, stubbornness, an unwillingness to learn, opposition to logical thought, and irrationality when clear thinking is much more useful. Has there been a defining moment in your life? Joining Craic Youth Theatre when I was 14. I went there and had my eyes opened. It was like the time at the Opera House all over again. There I was, being part of the bright lights and colours and making people laugh by creating a whole new world for them. want to be. And I never want that to change. What are you watching on TV? I normally end up watching some ridiculous documentary. I don’t get a lot of time for TV. What was your first record? I’d have to say my memory. In my head is the script for nearly every show I have ever worked on and every number I’ve ever sung. I’m stuffed full of facts and figures from articles I’ve read, filled to the brim with quotes from books and shows. I was 14 and had taken a day trip to Coleraine with friends. We wondered around Grahams record shop. Then a song came on over the little stereo in the shop – It was In the Shadows by the Finnish band The Rasmus. I had to have it. So that was the day I bought the album “Dead Letters” and from there my taste was never the same. If you could ask God one thing? Who’s your favourite band/singer? What is your greatest trait? Why can’t celery taste like cake? Did you have a role model? There’s no one who I could cite as a role model, but I am inspired by people like Stephen Fry and Oscar Wilde – people who lived for learning, people who had opinions on matters that most people don’t even consider How do you describe Mid Ulster? It’s cold and damp and full of ridiculous hills and winding roads, cows hide around every bend in the road and the sheep are downright dangerous. The people can be stubborn and headstrong too. But there are times when the whole place is the only place you could ever “Panic! at the Disco” simply because the music matured as I did. If I was forced to pick a singer, I’d have to say Lady Gaga; the woman has such a broad and versatile voice. What’s your favourite film? Disney’s Hunchback of Notre-Dame. What is your happiest memory? My very first visit to the Grand Opera House in Belfast. I went to see the pantomime one Christmas. I can’t even remember which one. All I remember is the joy of being surrounded by people watching this stage, this window that looked into a totally different world. What is the most embarrassing thing you have done? I was singing in the Dungannon Music Festival, one of the compulsory songs was a horrible syncopated mess of a tune. The song came up and I began to sing, everything was going well until the end of the song where I suddenly forgot the words and the tune. The pianist continued on while I stood there with a scowl on my face. Mortified wasn’t the word. Your most treasured possession? Coco. A clown teddy I was given for my first Christmas. He has been everywhere. Do you have a catchphrase? No, but I do have an annoying habit of saying “What Ho!” to people on the street. What’s your tipple? Gin and Tonic, why? Are you buying? Who would play you in a film of your life? Robbie Coltrane or Meryl Streep in a fat-suit. What song would you like played at your funeral? Cremate me, but load my pockets with fireworks before you send me in and play the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky. Mid Ulster focus 11 NI Optometrist in the frame for National Award A County Tyrone optician is focused on success after being shortlisted for a national award. Noel McCrystal from McCrystal Opticians, Dungannon, is the only contender from Northern Ireland to reach the final of the Optometrist of the Year category in the prestigious 2015 Optician Awards. Mr McCrystal, who has been in practice at McCrystal Opticians for over 20 years, said “I am delighted and very proud to reach the final and to fly the flag for Northern Ireland in the Optometrist of the Year category. “While winning would be fantastic, the awards ceremony is a valuable opportunity to collabo- rate with the UK’s finest industry professionals and that is very exciting. I am looking forward with great anticipation to the preevent networking reception in March as well as the final awards ceremony in April.” In recent years, Mr McCrystal has developed a significant reputation in enhancing the lives of those with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Having faced personal challenges with this learning difficulty, he has made it his mission to understand and treat dyslexia, ASD and visual eye stress, particularly in children. He is one of the few practi- tioners in the UK and Ireland to offer the acclaimed Schoolvision Programme and has received the Outstanding Contribution to General Practice Award in both 2013 and 2014 from the Association of Schoolvision Practitioners. McCrystal Opticians was recently awarded the NI4Kids ‘Family Friendly Business of the Year’ Award in 2014. More information on the 2015 Optician Awards, including a full list of award categories and shortlists can be found at: http://www.opticianawards.com/ opticianawards2015 #opticianawards For more information on McCrystal Opticians: www.mccrystalopticans.com www.facebook.com/mccrystalopticians Professional, independent insurance services, where your custom is valued. Downpatrick & Armagh Mid-Ulster Contacts :- Martin McGeown 07725698051 Aidan Hughes 02844 615933 See website for full details of products & services! 12 Mid Ulster focus A fiddle with tradition New traditional Irish music band Cuig launched their new EP at The Ranfurly Arts Centre in Dungannon. The band are made up of five phenomenal young musicians. Miceál Mullen, Rónán Stewart, Ruairí Stewart, Eoin Murphy, Cathal Murphy. F0315 - 128 F0315 - 129 F0315 - 130 F0315 - 131 F0315 - 132 F0315 - 133 F0315 - 134 View and buy pictures @ www.midulsterfocus.com Mid Ulster focus Waterboys Modern Blues Harlequin & Clown The Waterboys are back with a new album a long three years and four months since their last release. The wait was worth it, as Modern Blues is an album which ranks among the best work Mike Scott has produced. First, let me be clear this is not ‘Fisherman’s Blues’, ‘Room to Roam’ or even ‘An Appointment with Mr. Yeats’. Modern Blues is a ROCK album. The opening track ‘Destinies Entwined’ positively explodes into life with a mix of searing guitar and fiddle solos complimented by Hammond organ. This is maintained in the other ‘rockers’ on the album. There are quieter reflective moments too like the gorgeous ‘November Tale’, the album’s first single, which finds Scott reflecting on love and loss. Scott, Steve Wickham (fuzz fiddle) and new Waterboy, (Hammond organist extraordinaire), Paul Brown and the other musicians are in blistering form here. As ever, Scott manages to produce an album full of light and shade, poetic lyricism and above all songs that you want to listen to again and again. Rating 5/5 Cúig Cúig Cúig are five young Irishmen and their newly released self-titled EP features banjo, accordian, drums, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, uileann pipes. Two sets of brothers Rónán and Ruairí Stewart, Cathal and Eoin Murphy together with Micéal Mullen make up Cúig (five in English). Cúig clearly demonstrate a respect for the music’s origins while at the same time, imbue it with a modern feel and sensibility most clearly heard via the drums. This does not in anyway detract from the ‘traditional’ feel of the music, rather widens its appeal. There is no doubting the musicianship of the five. I’m taken by how ‘sexy and modern’ the accordian can sound in the hands of the right player, in this case Eoin Murphy. The EP’s By Eamonn O’ Flannagain REVIEW five tracks include driving reels like ‘Tickle the Monk’, a slow considered reel like ‘The Pleasant Beggar’ and even a strathspey in the cleverly named track 3 ‘Three out of Five’. There is a rawness to the playing which I hope the band doesn’t completely lose as they mature. Cúig like Moxie clearly show that the future of ‘traditional music’ is both relevant and assured. The EP’s five tracks punch way above their weight. Rating 4.5/5 Blackberry Smoke Holding All The Roses Rounder Records I really got into Blackberry Smoke having listened to their superb live album ‘Leave a Scar: Live in North Carolina’ released last year. On the strength of that I attended the band’s first ever Irish gig, in Dublin’s Academy, in October, and what a cracking gig that was. Ever since I have been awaiting the release of the band’s fourth studio album - ‘Holding All The Roses’. The album is unapologetic classic ‘southern’ rock at its best. If that genre’s future needs a guardian it will surely sit easily on the collective shoulders of Starr, Still, Jackson and the brothers Turner, the five musicians who make up Blackberry Smoke. The opening track ‘Let Me Help You (Find The Door)’, ‘Fire in the Hole’ and ‘Payback’s a Bitch’ are just three examples of the type of driving rock that make the band irresistible to their legion of fans. The album also has its slower ballad or more reflective moments in ‘Woman in the Moon’ and ‘No Way Back to Eden’. ‘Holding All The Roses’ is, as one might expect of an album produced by Grammy Award winning producer Brendan O’Brien, high on production 13 values. This showcases the band’s many musical and vocal talents and announces them as serious contenders for that ‘southern rock’ crown. Rating 4/5 The Lone Bellow Then Came the Morning Descendant Records The Lone Bellow are Zach Williams, Kanene Doheney Pipkin and Brian Elmquist. Hailing from Brooklyn they are back with their second album and like their first it is full of beautiful well crafted folk-rock songs. Singer/songwriter Williams’ writing is as strong as ever, while the interplay of the trio’s beautiful vocals and harmonies mark them out again as something special. Stand out songs include the title track, ‘Marietta, ‘Call to War’ and ‘Cold As It Is’ but that is not to say the rest are inferior. Their self-titled first album (a must buy) fairly reached out and grabbed your attention with its up tempo feel good vibe and catchy tunes. The overall feel of this album is a little more morose. Yet, it’s still a good album. I’d recommend listening to their first album first though. If you like that - jump in. Rating 3.5/5 Gig Watch Folk/Trad More Power to Your Elbow Burnavon, Cookstown - Friday 13 March - 8.00pm Jim McKee & Cormac O’Kane Square Box, Dungannon, Saturday 14 March - 8.00pm Country Derek Ryan Burnavon, Cookstown - Wednesday 25 & Thursday 26 March - 8.00pm Local bands and/or venues in the Mid-Ulster area: if you want your album featured in a review or you have a gig/s you want highlighted, contact Éamonn via Mid Ulster Focus. 14 Mid Ulster focus A massive thank-you The Hub Centre in Cookstown recently held a celebration night to thank all the many volunteers who undertake such valuable work at the centre in various roles F0315 - 135 F0315 - 136 F0315 - 137 F0315 - 138 F0315 - 139 F0315 - 140 F0315 - 141 F0315 - 142 View and buy pictures @ www.midulsterfocus.com OFFICIALLY MID ULSTER'S BEST TAKEAWAY AREA WINNER - Tyrone, L'Derry & Fermanagh 19 Georges Street, Dungannon BT70 1BT CALL & COLLECT 028 877 52400 www.facebook.com/Dolphinfishandchips ting 25 Ye ebra ars Ce l T. 07834083802 E. HODLQH#FDOPFRQƂGHQWNLGVFRXN Advertising feature pet care Mid Ulster focus 15 With Eamon J Donnelly BVSC MRCVS (director) Parklands Vet group Help your pet Age Gracefully A ging begins at birth, but its manifestations are not noticeable for several years. The average cat or dog is classed as senior at seven years old. Often, the first sign of aging in our pets is a general decrease in activity levels, a tendency to sleep longer and more soundly and loss of interest in the goings-on in the home. Senior pets are more susceptible to health problems and behavioural changes. Digestion can get impaired in old age. The diet should be light but nutritious. Quantity of food per meal should be reduced and frequency of feeding may be increased. It is not advisable to make any sudden changes of diet. Good quality senior foods are recommended which contain the correct nutritional contents to meet the needs of the older pet. Dental Disease affects around 85% of dogs and cats over three years old. Not only does dental disease result in infection and tooth loss, but there can be more serious consequences. The bacteria that are harboured in the plaque and tarter can enter the blood stream causing problems in the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and even the brain. Arthritis Senior pets can start to feel stiff and suffer pain in their joints. Although some wear and tear is inevitable there are many products available that can slow the progress of arthritis and help promote the healing of the cartilage in the joints. Heart Disease Signs of heart disease may include coughing, weight loss, lethargy and a reluctance to exercise. Good management and advances in medicines may slow down the progression of heart disease. Thyroid disease is common in older cats. The condition builds up over time and can seem like signs of old age. Weight loss with an enthusiastic appetite, hyperactivity and a fast heart rate are all symptoms of hyperthyroidism. A simple blood test can diagnose or rule out the condition. Kidneys are vital for life and kidney disease is a common disease in older pets with as many as 18% of the UK cat population being affected. Signs of kidney disease include weight loss, lethargy, an increase in drinking and urination, vomiting and bad breath. Cancer is a problem in old age but please remember that most lumps are not cancerous. Your vet should be made aware of any growths you find on your pet. Diabetes can give similar symptoms to kidney problems. It is more common in older, overweight pets so regular health checks are important. Older pets may need to sleep longer and will appear less able to cope with changes in their routine. A warm bed should be provided in a quiet area where he can rest away from visitors and noise. Sadly we cannot stop our pets from aging. But take advantage of a free senior and dog health check up by presenting the coupon below at any of our clinics. Free Health Check up for all senior Pets Valid for March Only Cookstown 028 8676 5765 Coalisland 028 8774 1414 Dungannon 028 8775 2299 Portglenone 028 2582 1239 Aughnacloy 028 8555 7811 16 Mid Ulster focus theatre For the Love of the GAAme By J.D. Harper G albally Community Centre was the setting for the latest Conor Grimes and Alan McKee play ‘St Mungo’s Luganulk’, which tells the story of a team threatened with relegation, who beat all odds to work their way to the hallowed turf of Croke Park. Grimes and McKee perform this quick-paced two-hander, currently touring GAA clubhouses and community centres across Northern Ireland, tapping into the huge GAA market as well as providing a welcome alternative to conventional theatre venues. Grimes and McKee star in St Mungo’s Luganulk Anyone who has had a part in GAA games, be it through playing, watching from the sidelines, or indeed managing club life, will recognise some, if not all of the characters, which the lads transform into. With more than 15 characters shared between them, some of the highlights include Sean Savage, a local nature enthusiast, Niall the Draper, and a rather uncanny impression of a wellknown GAA commentator. As the opening music blares one might be forgiven for deliberating whether it was the GAA or ‘Rocky’ who had more influence on the show, however it’s not long before Grimes and McKee show their true prowess in front of a live audience. Grimes quickly seizes upon a phone ringing in the front row, while both actors respond skillfully to the sound of a late arrival being ushered in, by suggesting another player had arrived…even if the heels did ‘sound a bit high for training.’ Both performers use their stage experience and improvisation skills to captivate their audience and smooth over anything remotely unpredictable. One wonders whether there is more room for the spontaneity displayed within the script itself. There are certain moments where it feels as though the script may need to be slightly adjusted the ascendancy through matches falls a little flat after the breakneck build-up of the first act, and the clarity of character transition waned somewhat toward the end, slight flaws in an otherwise entertaining evening. While not yet quite as slick as (previous offering) The History of the Troubles (Accordin’ to My Da!)’ there is no doubt Grimes and McKee have tapped into another winning formation, which will undoubtedly flourish in the months ahead. To their credit, Grimes and McKee have effortlessly demonstrated the support for arts in the community. The atmosphere was friendly and inviting, while raffle tickets sold during the interval mimicked the community and tradition the play, at times, pokes fun at. With proceeds going to ‘Helping Hand’ at Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, in memory of 10 month-old Eoin Cush, the evening was a brilliant example of communities rallying round a good cause and the arts being an integral part of that. A standing ovation at the end of the night demonstrated how this play captured the hearts of those who witnessed it. St Mungo’s Luganulk will be touring across NI in the coming months so if you do have the opportunity, get a ticket, sit back, relax, and make doubly sure your phone is switched off. Mid Ulster focus Books The Lew Griffin Novels by James Sallis Amazing Grace G race Clunie is an Anglican Priest as well as the Director of Celtic Spirituality based at The Navan Centre in Armagh. The book contains practical inspirations for the contemporary spiritual journey. In fewer than 60 pages Grace introduces six aspects of Celtic spirituality. These are: the creation - our relationship with the rest of creation. Hospitality – relationships with ourselves and others. A Way of Living – how what we believe is foundational to lifestyle. Creative spirituality – relating to the spiritual with the whole of our humanity. Pilgrimage – our spiritual journey. And, the Other World – death, saints and angels. It’s easy to see how Celtic spirituality appealed to Grace. She writes: “Through Celtic spirituality comes a call to a deeper, more interconnected and aware way of being.” This includes a greater respect and an appreciation “which perceived the Sacred Presence, not only in human beings, but in all of creation.” “Hospitality,” she says, “calls us to be open, non-judgmental, generous and gentle in our attitudes to ourselves and to one another, recognising the sacredness of the soul.” The final chapter concerns our deep-seated fear and denial of the fact of death. In it she quotes John O’Donohue in his book, “Anam Chara” who wrote: “For the Celts the eternal world was so close to the natural world that death was not seen as a terribly destructive or threatening event. When you enter the eternal world, you are going home to where no shadow, pain or darkness can ever touch you again.” I found the book a simple introduction to Celtic spirituality. Further details can be found on the website www.celtic-spirituality.net or by writing to Grace at The Navan Centre, 61Killylea Road, Armagh, BT60 4LD. By Ian Moore 17 I have never been able to appreciate listening to jazz but if I could I think these novels by James Sallis would be its literary equivalent. James Sallis is an American crime writer, best known for this series of novels featuring the character Lew Griffin and set in the heart of New Orleans. Lew works in turns throughout the novels as a private detective, lecturer and writer. An African American, he is also a flawed and complicated man. We follow his story through the decades, as he grows, changes, and matures - much like his city. He is a tough cookie, and finds relationships difficult but finds comfort in alcohol. The Long-Legged Fly is the first title in the series and shares its name with a poem of Yeats. The novel begins by Lew accepting a missing person’s case in New Orleans which takes him to the French Quarter where he discovers his own son has been kidnapped. Gritty and insightful the books will immerse you in a different world. But give the reader a feel for the heartbeat of Louisiana. The writing itself is as important as the plot. 18 Mid Ulster focus cover story Stand up and be counted Louise Taylor left Cookstown to go to college, Nearly 20 years later she’s back with a family – and she’s having a big laugh L ouise Taylor is a woman who wants to make people laugh. She is an actress/comedian who has just moved back to her hometown of Cookstown after many years living and working in Brighton. Louise went to school in Cookstown but moved to Manchester to complete a degree in the late 90s. She then signed up to a programme called the Japan Exchange and Teach English (JET) which allowed her to live and work in Japan while being able to travel all over Asia. After Japan Louise moved to Brighton where she met her husband Stefan. It was in Brighton that she developed her love of the stage, training as an actress and playing many and varied straight roles. However it was when she got the opportunity to play comic roles that she found her real passion for making people laugh. Along with three other writers and a company of eight actors she established a sketch group comedy group called “The Scary Mary Sketch Show” and with the group she honed her comedy writing skills. As Louise says herself “the only time you can really tell if something you have written is really funny is you present it to an audience of strangers. It is a constant process of writing and re-writing material and seeing how it works on the stage”. It was when her husband bought her a place on a stand up comedy workshop that Louise took the plunge into working as a solo comedy performer. The workshop was run by Jill Edwards who has worked with well known names on the comedy scene including Jimmy Carr, Sean Walsh and Shappi Khorshandi. As she describes herself, “working with Jill Edwards I gained experience and confidence The Scary Mary Sketch Show in a relatively short period of time that would have taken years to obtain had I gone straight out in to the pubs and clubs. “Within the workshops you are given a safe and supportive environment to try out and develop material and to find your comic voice” Stand up comedy can be a tough a business and Lousie has had the odd tough gig where things didn’t quite go to plan. Her worse experience was when an over excited and slightly tipsy Belfast man heckled her mercilessly in a club in Brighton. “He threw me completely and wouldn’t keep quiet. He was so excited that I was from Cookstown but he wasn’t helping me one bit.” Louise has a tried and tested way of dealing with the post-mortem of a gig. She uses a bit of advice given by English comedian Sarah d Mid Ulster focus 19 cover story Millican. No mater how well or badly the show has gone you are only allowed to think about it until 11am the next day. After that you must let it go and move on otherwise you could analyse the thing to death, leaving you with either an inflated notion of yourself or completely blow your confidence so that you would never go back on stage again. The show must go on. Louise then went on to enter the prestigious “So You Think You Are Funny?” competition which is the leading amateur comedy competition in the UK and has seen the likes of Peter Kay, Lee Mack, Sarah Millican, Johnny Vegas, Dylan Moran and Jack Whitehall as winners or finalists in previous years. The competition’s showcases are held throughout UK and Ireland and the winners are invited to take part in the finals at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. From the Regional Showcases, 55 performers were invited to perform and Louise made it through to the semi finals. Louise with husband Stefan and their children moved back to Cook- stown last summer. At Christmas she was invited by Carol Dooey from The Hub Centre in Cookstown to perform at the annual Christmas show in The Burnavon Theatre and this proved to be a fantastic debut ‘home’ performance. The Hub centre helped Louise organise and promote a successful comedy workshop based on the Jill Edwards model of standing up and giving it a go. As Louise says herself “all that is required is a sense of humor and the ability to enjoy a good laugh”. She hopes to run a number of workshops in Mid Ulster with the hope that there would be a performance in some of the local theatres or arts venues by some of the people who participated in them. As well as developing the comedy courses Louise is hoping to make an impact on the comedy scene and hopes to get an opportunity to display her considerable talents as a stand up to a wider audience. Free Admission Our Services/ Facilities Include: Visitor Information Centre Conference Facilities available to hire An Award winning education programme on offer for schools and community groups. Our Square Box performance area has a seating capacity of 98. A variety of arts activities on offer to suit all age groups. Coffee Shop Free Wi-Fi access Tel: 028 87728600 E: ranfurlyhousereception@dungannon.gov.uk @DungannonArts www.dungannon.info 20 Mid Ulster focus A starter for ten in jobs plan I n the next few weeks all eyes will be on 10 Downing Street and who will occupy it after the election. Locally, the number 10 may have more relevance and be of greater importance as a new initiative was launched in Dungannon last month to create jobs. TEN is the brainchild of Dungannon Enterprise Centre, which aims to create 10 new jobs within 10 weeks with help from 10 local businesses. It is hoped the initiative will roll out across the province and go some way to providing employment for the thousands of unemployed. Speaking at the launch event at the beginning of February, Brian MacAuley, Chief Executive of Dungannon Enterprise Centre, said: “This evening 10 local businesses pledged to create a job in 10 weeks. I was overwhelmed by their enthusiasm and desire to come on board. “A job gives someone possibil- ity. For some it means wealth, or a holiday, or a new car. For others it may mean a home and a mortgage or being able to get married.” Kevin Hughes of Rathgael Furnishings, which is one of the businesses committed to creating a job, added: “I am delighted to be involved and look forward to giving something back.” The businesses taking part come from a number of sectors including manufacturing, retail and services, and have already started their journey by working with mentor Andrew Dobbin from The Business Mindset. The businesses are aware of the challenge they face. Stephen Salley of HBK architects admitted he wasn’t feeling completely confident of creating a job at the start the programme, but continued: “I feel that I need to look in that direction to keep business coming through the door and be flexible enough to react to customer needs.” A number of local experts in accountancy, business consulta- tion, banking, web and graphic design are also volunteering their time to support the businesses that have signed the pledge. Mr MacAuley said: “I would like to acknowledge their support. They are doing this because they believe that by growing local businesses they are making a difference to our community.” Dungannon Enterprise Centre has been at the forefront of job creation in the area for over 20 years. In December, 2013, they converted a 4,000 sq ft warehouse unit into a space for 13 small businesses through the installation of recycled steel containers. The CUBE has become a huge success with a waiting list for those who wish to rent the self-contained units. Dungannon Enterprise Centre, Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council and Tyrone Times have sponsored the TEN initiative. For further details please contact Brian MacAuley at Dungannon Enterprise Centre on 028 877 23489. Karen Adamson of Dungannon Enterprise Centre with Kevin Hughes and Sinead Hughes. Mid Ulster focus Columist 21 Eimear Quinn A Woman’s work ... O n first entering First Steps Women’s Centre on William Street, Dungannon, you are met with a calm and welcoming atmosphere. It’s hard to believe the relaxing scene once you’ve witnessed the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. The idea for the centre came from a discussion amongst a group of women in January of 1997. They discussed the possibility of founding a group that can provide support for women in the surrounding area and their dream became reality the following year. Since then, the centre has relocated – first from Feeney’s Lane to Thomas Street in 2007 and then to their current location on William Street. Joan McCool is the Life Skills Co-ordinator for First Steps and has been with the centre since 2004. She says the move to Thomas Street was when the centre really “took off”. Initially the centre was opened part-time - opening from 10am to 2pm every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. It has since progressed into a full-time venture, with a professional and dedicated team of staff who provide a welcoming space for women to learn, share and socialise. The centre offers a wide range of programmes, courses and activities, such as IT Programmes, numeracy and literacy classes and ESOL courses for those wishing to learn English. Not only are the classes tailored and timed to accommodate, they also offer transport with a minibus driving around the district up to four times a day. For those with younger children, there are childcare facilities within the building with trained staff members, two of whom are bilingual, for children without English as a first language. In 2009 the centre received funding towards employing a Health Promotion Worker, which has proved very successful. Claire Henry, the current Health Promotion Worker, spoke of the work she does in promoting good health and wellbeing: “We run things like stress management and we do physical health things like yoga and walking programmes where we also provide information on healthy eating. We do a cooking programme, which is about eating healthy and cooking on a budget.” Recently, the centre began offering a free benefits checking scheme and also counselling, in an effort to make sure the women receive all the support necessary to pursue their ambitions. It is clear that the wellbeing of the women attending the centre is of paramount importance to the staff at First Steps. Everything is catered for in order to relieve the pressures of everyday life and allow the women to be themselves. Chief Executive Michael McGoldrick elaborated on this point: “This is the first step back into the rest of whatever it is they do, whether it’s education, training, employment or volunteering. We want to make people feel at ease, because if you’re not at ease it’s difficult to feel confident and secure.” As well as supporting the women attending the centre, the staff have been recognised twice by receiving the Investors in People Silver certification. To maintain the high standard of service, the centre relies on funding. This year they are waiting on news of a crucial application, and a negative decision would be detrimental to the work they carry out. Despite this, they are remaining positive and are currently in the midst of organising an event for International Women’s Day, which this year falls on March 8th. Michael commented on why it’s important to celebrate International Women’s Day, saying: “There’s an Australian politician who has said he wants to get women who have had children back to work quickly. Where’s the sense in that? “We believe it’s important to give women the recognition for their achievements, whether that’s motherhood, getting an accredited qualification, getting back into employment or trying something new.” There have been so many success stories from First Steps that it would impossible to share them all. The centre has proven itself to be advocates for women in the local area. It is a place where trust can be built and stories can be shared. There is always a listening ear and an immense network of support for whatever it is you require. Take your ‘first step’ and drop in for a cup of tea or coffee at any time because they are always happy to see a new face. NEW YANKEE STORE MEADOWLANE SHOPPING CENTRE, MAGHERAFELT. Mid Ulster focus 22 Because I’m Happy… This year’s UN International Day of Happiness is celebrated on March 20th. Elaine Curry, Director of Calm Confident Kids offers some advice on happiness and how to live in the moment O h I do love that Pharrell Williams song and on good days could dance and sing to it around the kitchen. As long as no-one can see me. So what is happiness? According to Psychologists, “Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.” Today we live in a fast paced society and are used to instant gratification. If we want information we Google it; if we want to read a book we download it; if we want to buy something we go shopping on the internet (with express delivery of course). We do not have to wait for anything but does it make us any happier? Just stop for a minute and I Am Happy & Content Pose of the Month – The Happy Baby. Try it at home with the wee ones! appreciate what really makes you happy. It can be as simple as sitting having a chat to your children about what they did at school. Watching your baby trying to crawl. Getting out to enjoy the garden. Taking time for a cup of tea and a laugh with your partner or friend. So, how can we manage our happiness and that of our family? Well, to start with we are all in charge of our own minds and happiness. However, we can teach our family how to manage their happiness. Teach by example, by breathing techniques, by loving ourselves, by accepting ourselves and our family. Most importantly we can be happy by practising mindfulness. < '$ 2 .7 2 %2 Happy Baby Being fully present in the now and not living in the past or future. One of my favourite ways of teaching happiness and contentment to children is the game, ‘What was good about today?’ – a simple game in which everyone gets a chance to say one good thing that happened to them that day. It is a lovely thing to do at dinner as a family or before bed. Contentment: now there is a barrier to happiness. If we are not content we will not be happy. We need to learn to be happy with the here and now not the ‘I will be happy when…’ scenario. Yes, there are things that we think would make us happy; bigger car, smaller waist, more money, more time, that designer handbag. Would they really? What about (QMR\D Flexible 1(: &DUHHU being content with your car (it’s easy to park), your figure (I am beautiful the way I am) etc. Let’s start with loving our life as it is. Yes, we would all like to make improvements but we have a good life now. Appreciate what you have, not what you think you want. Live in the present, live in today and learn to love your life. Choose to be happy right now! Elaine Curry from Maghera is Director of Calm Confident Kids, yoga-inspired health classes with a holistic approach to mind and body well-being for the whole family. Find out more at http://www. calmconfidentkids.co.uk Become a Calm &RQŗGHQW.LGV ,QVWUXFWRU &RPSUHKHQVLYH7UDLQLQJ&RXUVHV 0LG8OVWHU'DWHV &DOP&RQŗGHQW.LGV&RXUVHDJHV\UV ŔVWUHWFKERGLHV, PLQGVDQGSRVVLELOLWLHV 7 07834083802 ( HODLQH#FDOPFRQƂGHQWNLGVFRXN 9LVLWZZZFDOPFRQƂGHQWNLGVFRXN 9HQXH0DJKHUD 'DWHVWKWK0DUFKWK$SULO %DE\0DVVDJH&RXUVHIURPELUWK 9HQXH0DJKHUD 'DWHVWKWK0D\WK-XQH &RQWDFW(ODLQHWRERRN\RXUSODFH Mid Ulster focus FOOD 23 Cook with Claire Vegetable Chowder Keep the early spring chills at bay with this simple to make delicious treat for all the family . . . and it won’t break the bank This vegetable chowder is adapted from an American recipe. In the U.S. they use cups for measuring. It’s quite a liberating way to cook. Don’t worry if you don’t have a proper set of measuring cups. Simply use any large cup or mug. The proportions will stay the same, you’ll simply have slightly more or less broth! Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes Serves 2 (approximately) Ingredients • 1/2 cup chopped red or green pepper • 1/2 cup chopped onions • 1/4 cup butter or margarine • 1 cup chopped celery • 1 cup diced cauliflower • 1 cup diced carrot • 1 cup diced broccoli • 3 cups fresh chicken stock • Salt to taste • Ground black pepper to taste • 1/2 cup plain flour • 1-2 cups milk • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley • 3 cups grated cheddar cheese Method • Sauté the peppers and onions in butter until tender. • Add remaining vegetables, stock, salt and black pepper; bring to a boil. • Reduce heat: simmer covered for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. • Combine flour and milk until smooth; stir into pan. • Bring soup to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Mix in the parsley. Just before serving, stir in the cheese until melted. 24 Mid Ulster focus Big feature JFK, My Father, and Me T he assassination of John Kennedy was the first world event to have an impact on my life, and I think my late father, Christy McGuinness, who died March 2005 is responsible for that. I was only four and a half at the time, but can still remember him telling me to be quiet so that he could hear the news. He even told me to listen. “This is important,” he said. “President Kennedy has been shot.” My dad had no real interest in news. He preferred American westerns. That Friday was different, though. We all watched the When shots rang out in Dallas in 1963, Martin J McGuinness didn’t realise his life had changed forever news. After that first weekend, the assassination gradually ceased to feature on my father’s radar, but for me an acorn had been planted that would grow through the years into a mighty oak. Dad was an Irishman living in Lancaster, not exactly hostile, but neither was it wholly welcoming. In the 1950s it was not uncommon for rooming houses in England to display signs which read, “No dogs. No Irish.” The Irish tended to form a subculture within certain English cities, but America was a different story… Kennedy Rí na Mara Irish Seaweed Cosmetics Luxury Irish skincare brand Available from Jody O’Neill Chemist Coalisland or order online www.rinamara.com in the White House seemed like a perfect manifestation of the special relationship that existed between Ireland and the USA. My dad had this saying, “It takes the Yanks.” By this he meant that America always had the resources to pull off something spectacular, whether it was going to the moon or making movies. One night we were all watching the classic Howard Hawks film Red River. When it came to the scene of the great cattle stampede, my Dad was glowing with appreciation and excitement as he turned in his armchair and said, ‘It takes the Yanks’. Mid Ulster focus 25 big feature At school I especially liked history, and one day the assassination of JFK was mentioned. I spoke more than most during class discussion and my teacher, a man named Mr Pearson, saw fit to lend me an LP record called Four Days that Shocked the World, Nov 2225th 1963. It featured the actual radio broadcasts leading up to the assassination and its aftermath. I listened repeatedly to that record and soon had many of the commentaries off by heart. On the way home from the youth club, my friends would look amused (and bemused) as I put on my own American accent: ‘The President’s car is now turning onto Elm Street…’ By 1978 I was living and working in London. One night I drinking near the Strand when I fell into conversation with an American. I had recently read Frederick Forsyth’s The Odessa File, a book that begins with the contention that everyone knows exactly where they were and what they were doing when they first heard about the Kennedy assassination. I decided to test the theory on my older American drinking buddy: ‘Sure, I was in my office in New York. Someone came in and said, “Kennedy’s been shot”. I just looked up from my desk and said: “That’s okay, I didn’t vote for him”.’ With some difficulty, I refrained from punching this guy. It was not until the early 90s, in Tunisia of all places, that my interest in the subject reached new heights. I was working at a university, teaching when I also met a Dallasite for the first time, a man named Garron Wheeler who taught linguistics. Garron had grown so weary of Kennedy he told me how relieved he had been one time in Rome, when he’d been introduced to a group of students as someone from Dallas. An Italian man had smiled and said: ‘Ah, Dallas, then you must know JR.’ It was such a joy to hear the name of the soap opera villain, rather than having to recall, yet again, the stain on the city caused by the killing of Kennedy. While I was still in Tunisia, Oliver Stone’s JFK opened in London and I determined to see it. One Friday afternoon I flew out from Tunis to London, saw the film on Saturday in Leicester Square and caught a flight back to Tunis on the Sunday. I left the cinema a confirmed conspiracy theorist. Years later, after seeing the ABC documentary Beyond Conspiracy (which features a devastating critique of the film), I realised I had been taken in by Stone’s fanciful myth-making. By this time I had become a member of a religious order and was developing a more heightened sensitivity to the kind of unhealthy attachments that took away from rather than added to my life. There were times when I wished I had never “gotten into” the Kennedy assassination. I decided to stop reading about the subject. All went well until 2011, when Stephen King’s 11.22.63 was published. I had never read any of King’s novels, though I enjoyed his memoir On Writing. My decision to read the new novel was not taken lightly. I had a sense of standing at the top of a slippery slope. But I convinced myself that I had outgrown all that JFK stuff and could now take it or leave it. Not true! Once reading began the dry tinder was instantly aflame. I blazed my way through 11.22.63 in two days, splashing water on my face at times, as I defied the need to sleep. Sometimes I wonder how different my life would have been if, instead of telling me to watch TV that Friday evening so long ago, my father had told me to go and play with my toys. Would I have succumbed to JFK-itis? Would I have travelled to Dallas last November? In the song “Graceland,” Paul Simon sings about a pilgrimage to the home of Elvis he just has to make. I had similar feelings about Dallas. My trip was part holiday but more a pilgrimage, and I too had reason to believe that my journey might turn out to be graced. It’s too early to say if it was. I spent a lot of time in Dealey Plaza, walking along Elm St, up the grassy knoll, and visiting the Sixth Floor of the Texas School Book Depository. But I also went to Pioneer Plaza, in honour of my dad. I could picture his reaction to the scale of these incredible sculptures that commemorate those huge western cattle drives of the mid nineteenth century. Looking around in wonder, he would turn to me and say, ‘It takes the Yanks’. 26 Mid Ulster focus bella’s corner Heels and Hangovers - my life as a singleton S itting at the table and my mother speaks up: “We should go and see ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ together.” Am I hearing this??????? How did I get to this point, a 30-something singleton with a love of all things, which are usually bad for me? High heels I usually can’t walk in unless I am slightly tipsy. Which brings me to my love of a tipple, which usually clouds my judgement and leads me to my disastrous choices in men!! ACTION REQUIRED Hoke out my trusty trilogy of ‘Fifty Shades’, a three-books-inthree-days read. Then straight to my favourite Whatsapp group, ‘Ladies Night Out’. The gang consists of the Yummy Mummy, the Stepford wife, the Wag, Timebomb, the county’s very own Cara Delevingne and The Queen. Just 257 notifications later, it’s decided there’s nothing else for it but to head for the Balls on the Falls at the bottom of the M1. Hotel booked, restaurant booked, VIP booked! Six days later, we arrive at the hotel and decide it would be rude not to go and test a few cocktails. Why, on a Saturday afternoon, do these taste so good? We arrive for dinner slightly It’s days of wine but not roses for intrepid reporter Bella, who’s looking for love in all the wrong places me, complimenting my hair, my late. The restaurant is fab, and outfit. I am loving this place. dinner is spectacular. Several The night proceeds. I chat to courses (not all solid) later, we several beautiful men, surely head for the pubs and clubs. I have to pull? I receive what Eventually making it to our final seems like several thousand destination of the night, one compliments, even get a phone of Belfast’s newest and hottest number. He wants to meet nightclubs. tomorrow, to go shopWe arrive at the door to be ping?! greeted by a pack of what can As I head back only be described as ‘Millies’. over to the ladies, I They are less than impressed give them an update. with us being let straight in (they I can see several had only booked queue hop, ha different expressions ha). This is verbally expressed until the Queen breaks it to by the ‘Braceface’ of the pack. me gently that I won’t be pulling: Quote: “Sure, they are in their they are all gay. We are in the 30s. Look at the cut of them: VIP at a gay engagement party. quiffs are so last year.” Wouldn’t To say I’m “dying” next mornmind, but there they stand in ing is an understatement. The 1990s full length formal dresses same sentences keep repeating in and tiaras with bad fake tan and my head #lifeproblems. Maybe hair bleached to within Braceface was right? Are we all an inch of its life. past it? Surely not??? We make it into the VIP and all is going great. It is PANIC full of hot men, and Three days later, her voice keeps I mean full. I think creeping into my head. I have died and I spend my workgone to heaven. ing day “prowling” Head straight to through the interthe bar. I hardly net, trying to block have time to out the voice in my look around head, when I hear: when this “Sorry, excuse Adonis starts Jamie Dornan: Sadly me.” not at the nightclub to chat to “Yeah?” I reply, not even looking up. “I have an appointment here at 11am.” That’s when I look up and the most gorgeous athletic man is standing in front of me. He is massive. Massive hands, massive beard, just massive. He gives me his name and details so I start “creeping” on him on Twitter and what happens? I hit the follow button. Ok, don’t panic, just keep following him. Then panic hits and I unfollow!!!! The following Monday, our newest member of staff starts. You guessed it: Mr Massive!!! Why oh why am I not small enough to hide under my desk? He introduces himself to us all but not a word or remark about Twitter. The cringing starts to ease in my stomach. That evening he comes over to my desk to say he’s heading home. “Hope we are not too scary for you?” I joke. “Not at all,” he says, with a wink. “See you later. Oh, and thanks for the follow.” Oh, dear god help me. Is he the one? Unnecessary purchase of the month: a pair of fabulous Miss KG Adele, in pink. Cause you know what they say: “Pink, pink, makes the boys wink”. Love, Bella xxx Mid Ulster focus fashion 27 Caroline O’Neill A Gentleman always dresses for the Occasion H ard to believe this is now the second edition of Mid Ulster Focus and what an exciting few months it’s been for everyone involved. Mid Ulster Focus Fashion I was delighted to attend the launch of Mid Ulster Focus in February and I have to say I enjoyed the night thoroughly. Wine and Nibbles got the evening off to a great start and allowed time for us all to mingle and get to know everyone involved in the magazine. The night was a roaring success and a credit to all involved and I have no doubt the Mid Ulster Focus will soon be a regular magazine in all local homes. I have to say in my new role as fashion expert for the magazine I was impressed by how well the men all turned out. Of course the ladies all looked fab but I was paying attention to the men. Everyone had made a great effort – style ranged from suits (First time I have seen our editor Oliver Corr in a suit) blazers and jeans, to open neck shirts and trousers. It was plain to be seen that fashion is becoming more important for men and they are paying a lot more attention. I was also delighted to spot a few DIGG customers present, great ambassadors for my shop! Fifty Shades of Grey February brought us the much hyped ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ The men, as we ladies know, are however, somewhat confused by it all. They see women reading it on buses, hear them talking about it in offices and it discussed in newspapers and magazines. But they haven’t read it. So, I am going to let you men into a few secret. If the lady in your life keeps asking ‘Why can’t you be more like Christian Gray?’ Don’t start getting wild and wonderful ideas. She probably just means you should take more pride in your appearance – Nothing looks better than a properly fitted suit. Since this film has been released, a lot of men have been rushing to the local independent stores to be measured for that fitted suit. No matter who you are, no matter what social status you have, you should dress well. You never know when it will bring out the inner “ANA STEELE” in your lady (you all know what I mean ladies, lol) To Beard or not to Beard? Beards are having a moment. Quite a long moment, as it turns out. Sometimes beards are in, sometimes moustaches, or sideburns and whiskers. Sometimes nothing at all. However in the fashion world, a beard is now seen as quite a trendy thing and a man is making a bold statement when he grows one –“ I am a confident man not afraid to stand out.” A beard is now the new accessory to a suit – I often hear guys saying: “I’ll grow my beard for that day” in DIGG when they are buying a suit for a wedding. The beard has evolved and it’s the must have accessory of 2015! Confirm your style Confirmation Season has well and truly kicked off with many local parishes having their confirmation in February. The little men and women making their confirmation have become more fashion focused, stating exactly the look they want for their big occasion. Confirmation is no longer the conservative event we have seen in years gone by. Now boys wanting to make a statement in their blazer, shirt and dressy jeans styled with either Converse or that tan Brogue like their dad. Some may even throw in a bow tie or a pair of braces just to stand out that bit more. And One Direction has definitely guided the younger generation in the fashion stakes. I love helping to style young guys in DIGG especially on a Saturday when a father and son might pop in and get kitted out to complement each other’s style. 28 Mid Ulster focus puzzles Sudoku Crossword Clues Scribble board Answers on page 30 Across 1. Contribute, give (6) 4. Demise, end (5) 8. Jeopardy (5) 9. Sank the Titanic (7) 10. Certainly, distinctly (7) 11. Indian dress (4) 12. Deceive (3) 14. Sung in church (4) 15. Reveal, display (4) 18. Fasten, attach (3) 21. Idol, venerated image Tel: 07518 765029 No 7 Annagher Rd Coalisland (4) 23. Wander aimlessly (7) 25. Gift (7) 26. Acclimatise, modify (5) 27. Appoint, nominate (5) 28. Affluence, riches (6) Down 1. Portray, illustrate (6) 2. Baby’s room (7) 3. Forgiving, lenient (8) 4. Means of losing weight (4) 5. Stadium, amphitheatre (5) 6. Scottish meat pudding (6) 7. Resin used to make gramophone records (5) 13. Heighten, intensify (8) 16. Weirdo, eccentric (7) 17. Small alcoholic drink (6) 19. Barren, deserted (5) 20. Walking aid (6) 22. Very overweight (5) 24. Loaned (4) Answers on page 30 Mid Ulster focus kids puzzles 29 30 Mid Ulster focus puzzles Answers with ø, your single provider for all your business communication and network needs ø Business Team Coalisland Call our dedicated Business Sales Manager’s on 0330 004 0202 Mid Ulster focus 31 sport Team up for a great March GAA - County March sees the 2015 Allianz National Football Leagues continue at pace. Fans will have plenty of action to enjoy with all county teams playing three games in just four weeks making it a key month for all. Senior Football: Tyrone & Derry After mixed results so far in the NFL Division 1 Tyrone and Derry will be hoping for improved results in March. Tyrone face champions Dublin in Croke Park on Saturday 7th March and the lads end the month with a trip to Ballybofey to play Donegal on 29th March. Derry host Mayo in Celtic Park on Sunday 8th March, and travel to Clones on Sunday 15th March to take on Monaghan, before a mouthwatering trip to Croke Park on Saturday 28th March to play Dublin. Tyrone and Derry then play each other on Saturday 28th February in Healy Park, Omagh. U21 Football Championship The Ulster and All-Ireland U21 Football Championship is played from March to April. and is seen as a guide to the future successes of a county’s senior team. Derry begin their campaign on Wednesday 11th March with a home tie against Down. The winner will face Monaghan in the Quarter-Final on Wednesday 18th March. Tyrone play Fermanagh in Healy Park, Omagh, in the Quarter-Final on Wednesday 18th March. Both sides will fancy their chances of reaching the semis on Wednesday 1st April and maybe the Final on Wednesday 8th April. Schools Tuesday 17th March sees the conclusion of two of the provinces biggest and most prestigious schools competitions, Gaelic Football’s MacRory Cup and Rugby’s Schools’ Cup. MacRory Cup The MacRory Cup is one of the the most coveted prize in Ulster Schools. The Cup, first donated by Bishop MacRory in 1923, is contested by 10 and the number of genuine contenders makes the outcome unpredictabile. St. Mary’s Grammar School Magherafelt, St. Patrick’s College Maghera and St. Patrick’s Academy Dungannon are all hoping for a good cup run. Schools’ Cup The Schools’ Cup is the world’s second oldest rugby competition (after the Hospital Cup) having been competed for every year since 1876. The traditional St Patrick’s Day Final at Ravenhill is one of the great occasions in the rugby calendar. As well as the main School’s Cup competition, the tournament also includes the Schools’ Bowl, Medallion Shield, Subsidiary Shield, Schools’ Trophy, and the U16 High Schools’ Trophy. Two local schools will be participating in the various competitions Rainey Endowed School, Magherafelt and Royal School, Dungannon. field put the result beyond doubt in the 82nd minute. Netball Cookstown High School’s Intermediate and Minor Netball squads took part in the SELB League Finals earlier this year. The Intermediate squad faced a very experienced Sacred Heart Newry side and after a spirited performance were unfortunate to see the gold medals go to the girls from Newry on a scoreline of 24-12. The Minor squad took on St. Paul’s Bessbrook, a side they had played and been beaten by in the early stages of the competition. The Cookstown girls, on this occasion, coming out on the right side of a 10-9 win to bring the SELB Trophy and the gold medals back to their school. Bowls Cookstown Parochial recently won their fifth All-Ireland Club Championship title, at the Belfast Indoor Bowls Club. Strabane Cricket Club’s single shot win over Cookstown High in the semi-final spoiled hopes of a derby final. Cookstown Parochial, who had defeated Michelin in the semi-final, beating Strabane in what was a keenly contested final. Appear in the next Mid-Ulster Focus If you know of an individual/ team/club that should be included in our monthly feature please get in touch with PhillyMc: Email: phillymc.mufocus@ outlook.com CANNING DRIVING SCHOOL Round-Up The first few months of the year have been very exciting for many local teams in a variety of sports. Soccer Moyola Park and Tobermore United put in sterling performances in the fifth round of the Irish Cup against Glenavon and Linfield respectively. Moyola looked like they were going to record a shock result over holders Glenavon at Mill Meadow, leading 2-0 at half-time, before the Lurgan Blues fought back to win 3-2 with a last gasp winner. Tobermore went 1-0 down with a 25th minute own goal and Lin- CAR TRAILER BUS LORRY CPC TRAINING DOE APPROVED - GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILIABLE email: Canningdrivingschool@btinternet.com Tel: 07766408102 / 02887746578 32 Mid Ulster focus feature Helping to Shed those feelings of loneliness T he first Men’s Shed was opened in Australia as a grassroots organisation aimed at promoting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in men. It’s a space where men of all ages and backgrounds can come and work together, socialise and connect with their local community. It has since taken off and currently, there are over 1,000 Men’s Sheds in Australia and in the UK and Ireland there are over 200. Dungannon will soon have its very own South Tyrone Men’s Shed, thanks to the hard work and determination of locals Raymond Corey and Teresa Donaghy. by Eimear Quinn Raymond remarked on some of the inspiration behind the project, by saying, “Sometimes men reach a stage in their lives, especially in rural areas, where they find themselves isolated and lonely. We want to try and change that.” In September of last year, Raymond and Teresa began a journey to search for the perfect premises. What they found had been right under their noses all along - the old Convent building on Northland Row. The building, which dates back to the late 1800s, has been given a new lease of life. It was once a school and former pupils have visited the site as news of its renovation spread. One lady, who visited, wrote on the South Tyrone Men’s Shed Facebook page saying, “Today I walked through the corridors and climbed the stairs of my childhood; remembering old friends and teachers. It is wonderful to see that it has found a new lease of life”. From the outset, they just knew that this building was “The One” and work began almost immediately. With the help of industrious committee members and volunteers, the work was made lighter and their vision began to take shape. Also credited with supporting the work of the Shed are those who helped fund the project and the immense support from Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough council. In January of this year, the Shed was visited by the Rt Rev Dean Curry, Jim McQuaid - the Vice Chair of Dungannon & South Tyrone District council Mid Ulster focus feature - and Michelle Gildernew, who also extended their support for the project. The organisation’s vision statement is a powerful one – “Motivated men confidently organising and sharing their own vibrant space for the benefit of their community.” Commenting on this and their goals for the shed, Teresa said, “We want to promote confidence and build self esteem in people. Once we have everything up and running, we hope that the men can take ownership of what they’ve achieved and bring their skills out into the community.” Raymond further mentioned, “It’s a place where people can come to make friends and together they can help the community. There’s nothing really like this in the area. We want people to feel welcome and to know that they can drop in anytime and get involved. Or just to have a cup of tea and a chat.” There will be a wide range of courses on offer once the building officially opens, such as Woodwork, Photography, Computer classes and Essential Skills. As well as the Men’s Shed taking place downstairs, upstairs you will find local artist Martin Cullen and the social enterprise group, Fifth Element. Martin spoke of his intentions to bring art to the forefront of peoples minds in the Dungannon area, stating: “Most Men’s Sheds concentrate on building and engineering. We’d like to bring a bit of the arts into it with pottery, cabinet making and woodcarving.” Also on offer in the near future are classes in Gaelic, with the possibility of a cookery class taught solely in Gaelic, and a poetry session in Ulster Scots. This diverse range of activities and interests means there’s something for everyone and that all needs are catered for. “The Men’s Shed is whatever the men want. We’re not going to tell them what to do. If somebody comes in and wants to do something, we’ll try and get a bit of funding and do it,” Martin added. Although there is a minimum age limit of 18, there is no maximum age limit. All are welcome to come and enjoy the space; whether you’re a 65year-old gent who is looking to learn something new or if you’re relocating from another country and would like to meet some interesting people. There’s still some work to be done in the building, so the chance to become a volunteer early on is available. It’s clear to see that this project is taking care of its members well before opening hours. By providing a warm and welcoming environment, men can comfortably participate and share their interests. You can follow the journey of the Men’s Shed on their Facebook page – South Tyrone Men’s Shed. Here you can keep up-to-date with what’s happening as this exciting enterprise nears completion and opens for the general public. 33 34 Mid Ulster focus Kicking up a storm Moyola Park FC celebrated its phenomenal 135th anniversary with a black tie Gala Night held at the Moyola Park Golf Club on Saturday, February 14th F0315 - 143 F0315 - 144 F0315 - 145 F0315 - 146 F0315 - 147 F0315 - 148 F0315 - 149 F0315 - 151 F0315 - 150 F0315 - 152 F0315 - 153 View and buy pictures @ www.midulsterfocus.com Mid Ulster focus 35 Eel not be comin’ back From the archives of the Cookstown Citizen March 6th, 1799 E el Soup Saved Mid Ulster From Ruination. Residents from Magherafelt, Cookstown and Coalisland and their surrounding areas can thank a ‘dose of the skitter’ for the preservation of their proud placenames as an entry from the 6th March 1799 edition of The Cookstown Citizen explained in great detail. John Bull, a London cartographer, arrived in Cookstown under the instructions from his paymasters to rename many of the local towns, villages and townlands in order to reflect geographical landmarks and its people as opposed to maintaining a connection to their Gaeilge roots. His records show that Clonoe and its surrounding townlands had already been renamed before Bull visited a shebeen in Brocagh for an ‘Eel Supper’ washed down with a tankard of Campbell’s Sauce. Derrytresk had become Wetlands under the new directive, with Bull noting: “One cannot cycle from A to B in Derrytresk without footwear normally associated with feeding seals at London Zoo.” Derrylaughan was now Rampartville, Brocagh had been renamed Badgertown whilst Stewartstown had the new moniker of simply ‘Tin’. All names had been submitted and passed by the House of Lords in London just as Bull stopped off in Campbells in Brocagh for refreshments before addressing Ardboe and Cookstown. It is not known whether the cartog- rapher was deliberately poisoned but a local journalist for the Cookstown Citizen described his last day in Tyrone: “The already unpopular Bull had gained a rowdy protest following by the time he arrived in Ardboe. As he inspected the surroundings it was noticeable he had become pale green in complexion. Locals were calling him ‘greenhorn head’ and ‘oul Bull balls’ long before he soiled himself in clear view of the protesters who cheered at the sight. To the chants of ‘Skittery Bull’ and ‘Yellow Trail Man’, John Bull left on his bike, never to be seen on Irish soil again.” Little did people know but a bowl of eel soup in Brocagh prevented Mid-Ulster as we know it from being wiped off the face of the map in 1799. TAKING BOOKINGS NOW!!! MOTHER’S DAY MARCH 15TH 51 DUNGANNON ROAD COALISLAND TEL: 028 87747956 MOB: 07731348408